• DOI:10.1080/00947679.2008.12062768
• Corpus ID: 142605823

Public Memory, Cultural Legacy, and Press Coverage of the Juneteenth Revival

@article{Hume2008PublicMC,
  title={Public Memory, Cultural Legacy, and Press Coverage of the Juneteenth Revival},
  author={Janice Rose Hume and Noah Arceneaux},
  journal={Journalism History},
  year={2008},
  volume={34},
  pages={155 - 162}
}

• J. Hume, Noah Arceneaux
• Published 1 October 2008
• Sociology
• Journalism History

Following the Civil War, African Americans in Texas celebrated their emancipation with an annual holiday known as “Juneteenth.” The celebration migrated to other areas of the country, and over the past several years there has been a concerted effort to establish it as a national holiday. Using the recent revival and diffusion of Juneteenth as its focal point, this article examines local press coverage of the celebration in four states. The coverage illustrates how journalists invoke history to explain current events and also highlights the changing, fluid nature of public memory. In contrast to the view of history as a fixed, stable account of past events, the evidence reveals that the historical record is continually changing based upon contemporary concerns, political motivations, and, in this particular case, the ongoing integration of African Americans into American society.